Home Version Pinball machines....why?!

avidgeek

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I don't know what it is about home version pinballs but they're popping up a lot lately. Within the past week, I've received two different calls from people with home version pins for sale.

These things are teh suck! I wonder how many home version pins were made? I know I've seen at least:

Elton John Capt. Fantastic (or whatever its called)
Some 70s skateboard one
Star Explorer
Fireball
And some other nebulous pos with space theme

Every single one had problems, or had stuff broken. Can't imagine getting parts for these things.
 
Don't forget Alive! made by Brunswick.

Also, more revently, Vacation America was offered as a home unit. This one was a little more real pinball like, but still did not do well.

Chris
 
Don't forget about the newest ghettolicious Stern models available at a Costco near you ;)

Ya I seen those, whats the deal are they different? They seem to be full sized and everything, they had them all boxed up in Stern boxes, so I could not see one in person.
 
Playfield toys removed (not a big deal)
Coin door rendered useless (not a big deal)
The biggy is actual playfield differences. You'd have to see pictures of the authentic and compare to the Costco home versions to understand how much they changed that aspect.
 
Playfield toys removed (not a big deal)
Coin door rendered useless (not a big deal)
The biggy is actual playfield differences. You'd have to see pictures of the authentic and compare to the Costco home versions to understand how much they changed that aspect.

UH, I believe its a working coin door. Just read on Costco web-site that you can have on freeplay or have it accept coins. Also appears toys there as well.
 
I looked up those Costco units and the price is $3999. so I'm guessing it's the commercial unit. I did see that "commercial use" voids the warranty
 
I got a Star Explorer for Christmas 1977. My brother got the Atari.

Sounds like someone got screwed.
 
I looked up those Costco units and the price is $3999. so I'm guessing it's the commercial unit. I did see that "commercial use" voids the warranty


someone posted some specs on one a while back (the batman pin maybe?) and while it was close, there were some differences...it wasn't the one we'd be looking for.

and if i'm not mistaken, there were reports that the version in that thread (the one that was fairly close) was a limited edition run....the next ones were gonna be scaled down even more.



the costco ones, while pricey, appear to be home versions...
 
Don't forget evil kanivel. Looked ok if you never seen a real pinball. The ones I havea seen the cabinets are junk especially the head. Don't forget the sounds and the light sockets garbage.
 
I'm just going to say it. Home version pinball machines are Stupid.

Glennon
 
I had a Derby toy pin as a kid and a friend gave me another one so I'm going to try and fix that. I just picked up an "Alive!", just to see if I can get it going. If not, I'm thinking it's board replacement time! Arduinos can do amazing things now.
 
Playfield toys removed (not a big deal)
Coin door rendered useless (not a big deal)
The biggy is actual playfield differences. You'd have to see pictures of the authentic and compare to the Costco home versions to understand how much they changed that aspect.

Stern is still doing this. Although they are calling the stripped-down version the "Pro" model and charging full price for it; and the full-featured game is now called the "LE" model and they're charging a premium for it. >(
 
I had some sort of home pinball machine, but it was alot different than a real one. Instead of the score digit reels, it just had a single large reel that turned with all the points on it. It also just had a bell for sounds. It was still neat having your own pinball, even if it wasn't one you'd see in a real arcade :) I wish I could remember the name of it so I could find some info on it online.
 
Back when I got Star Explorer, buying a real pinball machine for the home was mostly out of the question. There probably were some collectors but it was nothing like you see today.

You have to keep in mind that pinball was illegal in many parts of the country until the 1970s so there were not a ton of old machines available for the collector market. Many of the machines made up to that time were shipped to Europe. And if they were for sale, they were not all that cheap because back then pinball was hugely popular and the machines made a lot of money for operators. Why would an operator sell a machine for $500 when it was making that kind of money every month?
 
Sorry for the necro bump…. But Costco is now stocking these Stern Home Edition Jurassic Park machines. $4799.99.
 

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